The socialist republic of Vietnam – a tropical Country

The socialist republic of Vietnam is a long, mountainous country in South East Asia, bordering China to the north and extending 1600km from north to south. With a population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. Since the deregulation of its economy and the implementation of market reforms at the end of the 1980′s, Vietnam’s economy has been growing rapidly at yearly rates of 8%.

The first Vietnamese state, Van Lang, was established in the region in 257 BC by the Hong Bang dynasty. In 111 BC Vietnam was occupied by the Chinese, who ruled the country for the next 1000 years – only in 938 AD did Vietnam regain its independence. In the 19th century Vietnam became a French colony and regained its independence after WW II.

Southern Vietnam is a region with a hot, tropical climate, consisting of the Mekong delta to the south and mountainous regions to the north. The central region was ruled by the Champa empire between the 7th and 19th centuries, while the Mekong delta region was originally part of the Khmer empire and later was annexed by Vietnam.

Near the Mekong delta lies Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh city (HCM), the largest and most important city of Vietnam with over 6 million inhabitants. 80km to the northwest of Saigon is the town of Tay Ninh, the centre of the Cao Dai faith.

The central part of Vietnam extends over 1000km from north to south and includes the Annam mountain range, home to many of Vietnam’s hill people. The coastal plains are in some points just a few km wide. Here is where the Champa kingdom flourished between the 7th and 19th centuries. In the middle of the central region there are a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites: the imperial city of Hue, a former capital of Vietnam, My Son, a one time capital of the Champa kingdom and the ancient city of Hoi An, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port.

Northern Vietnam consists mostly of mountains and the plains of the Red River Delta. Here is where the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, is located. Although Vietnam is a tropical country, the north has a colder climate than the rest of the country. In winter here the temperature drops to a few degrees above zero in the mountains. The north of Vietnam is where in the 10th century Vietnam started to exist as an independent country, then named Dai Viet, after 10 centuries of Chinese rule. Dai Viet succeeded in taking control of the entire current Vietnamese territory over the centuries, until it became a French colony in the late 19th century. The tourist highlights in northern Vietnam are Hanoi with its colonial heritage, the area around Hanoi full of temples and historic sights, Halong bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site with stunning karst scenery of islets and rocks, and the highlands to the west with their rich ethnic heritage.

Tags: Asian Countries, mountainous country in South East Asia, The socialist republic of Vietnam, tropical climate, Vietnam

Category: Asian Countries